If They Only Knew
Zillow.com suggests our home would sell for over a million dollars.  Alas, this is probably true.  But it would take many months to make the home ready to sell.  We still lack complete flooring in much of the house.  Interior doors and  windows are missing. Many rooms have yet to be painted the first time, and we moved in back in 1993.

But signs of progress loom on the horizon this year and next.  Nancy hopes to complete enough of the main floor to make it inviting to friends from BCS.  Nathanael plans to paint the north side in summer '08.  And with my job changes for next year, I should have time to help more at home.

This photo shows our seemingly completely wooded half acre. Click on it to see another aerial view of 1228 99th Ave NE.   

But on her actual 20th birthday (the 28th) Nancy brought a cake to SPU and Ginger sent flowers, and her dorm friends also brought flowers and we had a party right in her dorm room.

Annie's friend Tom took this picture with my camera.  Click to enlarge.

Nathanael's Third Wrestling Season Ends

The end-of-season awards banquet has been pushed back to March 5th.  But Nate's season came to an abrupt end at Regionals in Castle Rock with two quick losses.  He had advanced to Regionals by earning a 4th place finish as the Tri-District (Sub-regional) tournament in Orting the week before, going 2-2.  The strong schools like Orting, Castle Rock and Vashon that had been top 10 schools at the 2A level in 2006 dominated the 1A schools at Regionals when they dropped down to the lower classification. Getting to State was harder for everyone.  The two BCS wrestlers that did advance to State (David Del Moro and  Kevin Yoo) were both knocked out of the State tournament with two straight losses.  It ended the season on a sour note, but there was better news as well.

For the seventh time in the 19 year history of the award, the BCS team was awarded the 1A Academic State Championship for Wrestling.  This is the fifth year in a row that BCS has been so honored.  The entire team traveled to the Tacoma Dome to receive their award. 

On Tuesday, February 27th, Nathanael began turning out for Track.  I continue to prepare an extensive visual presentation for the wrestling banquet this coming Monday.  I'll also be preparing the various award certificates as soon as I receive the statistics.

January '07 Quote

"Kitty, I'll write, let me—"
"No, love. It's better t' say our goodbye now. I remember Ned once said,  ‛A ship's like a woman. To think kindly of her, y' have t' leave her while y'r still in love.' That's us, Tom."
 

Mutiny: A Kydd Sea Adventure by Julian Stockwin

My bus rides continue to be spent at sea.  After reading Mutiny (Book #5 in the Kydd series), I finished Tenacious (Book #6) this month and purchased Command (Book #7) with part of the birthday Amazon.com gift certificate SBE gave me.  I sent an email question to the author in England and he replied that very day.  He liked my question and will include it in his online newsletter The Bosun's Chronicle.

In February I also finished the first volume in yet another series not unlike the Hornblower saga.  An Eye of the Fleet by Richard Woodman introduces Midshipman Nathaniel Drinkwater. This series promises continued hours of nautical adventure with the British Navy in the late 1700s.  I'm learning a wealth of U.S. and world history in the bargain.